On-The-Loose-Dreams
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Veronica Schwartz, Des Plaines Public Library, IL -- School Library Journal, 5/9/2008
On-The-Loose-Dreams. CD. 40 min. Prod. by Pomes in a Pail. Dist. by AV Café. 2007. $13.99.
K-Gr 7–Children’s music doesn’t get much better than these 16 songs by Pomes in a Pail. What began at a writer’s workshop resulted in an amazing collaboration that combined the clever words of Alexander Jenny and the music of Karena Mendoza and Stephanie Snow. It is clear from the lyrics that Jenny “gets” what is in the heads of children and young teens. From the importance of “Imagin’Nation” to the innocent confusion regarding where babies come from in “Something Called Biology,” children will recognize many of their own thoughts and emotions. “Needa Wanna Gotta Have It” presents a non-stop list of all of the things that a girl must have to make herself happy, from dangle earrings to a phone to a pool to you as her best friend. In “Creature of Habits,” all of those bad habits that are so hard to give up like cracking knuckles and popping gum are enumerated. What sets this collection apart is that the songs are performed by professional child and teen singers with strong, full, and well-developed voices. The great vocals combined with incredible instrumentation gives the entire album a Broadway feel. This extremely high quality production deserves a space in every collection.
